Shuttle-changing mechanism



Feb. 1o, 1925.

' 1,525,774 w. FLETT 'SHUTTLE cHANGiNG MEGHANISM original Filed Mang ga. 1921 2 sheets-sheet 1 5j Mi Fel?. 10. 1925. L l l W FLETT I 1,525,774

SHUTTLEA QHANGING MECILANISM'A Urgnal Filed March 28. 1921 4 2 Shee ts-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM LELIBT'I,` 0F WAKEFIELIJ, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LAWRENCE DUCK COMPANY, OF LAWRENCE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0FV MASSACHUSETTS.

SHUTTLE-CHANGING MECHAN ISM.

original` appncauon ined March 2s,

granted December 5, 1916, but the presentV invention consists in certain improvements applicable to looms of the type shown in said patent.

Thesubject-matter of this invention is disclosed in my copending application Serial o. 456314 filed March 9.8, 19217 of which this application is a division pursuant to oiiicial requirement.

In looms of the type referred to each shuttle, as filling replenishment is required,

is taken away from the change shuttle-box automatically 'by a carrier that replaces it with the filled shuttle and then transfers the spent shuttle to a charging locality where it is automatically recharged with a filled bobbin. On account of the jarring to which looms are subjected and also on ac count of the carrying motion of the shuttie-carrier` it is necessary to equip the latter with some means for holding the shuttle so securely that it will neither fall from t he carrier nor slip out of registration with the recharging means or out of registration with the change shuttle-box as the case' may be.

Accordingly an object of this invention is to provide a shuttle-carrier for the pur pose mentioned with improved means for holding the shuttles in the desired positions thereon. For reasons that will probablybe apparent and that need not be accounted for here the filled shuttle and the spent shuttle occupy different positions on the 1921, Serial No. 456,314. Divided and this application filed April 1s, 1922. serial 110.555,094.

shuttle-carrier. This somewhat complicates the problem of providing the shuttle-carrier with adequate means forholding each of the shuttles in the two positions but the present invention provides a solution of this problem. y

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form in which the invention may be embodied.`

Fig. l represents a top plan view including some of the elements thatl form the change shuttle-box of a loom and a shuttlc-carrier embodying novel features hereinafter described. So far as the change shuttle-box is illustrated it is formed in part by the right-hand end of the lay.

Fig. 2 1s a View, on a smaller scale, from the right-hand end of a loom looking toward the left and including that part of the lay that helps to form the change shuttlc-box. This ligure also includes automatic mechanism for ejecting "the spent shuttle from the change shuttle-box.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation, and on a larger scale than Fig. l, looking in the opposite direction with reference to Fig. 2 but including none of the elements shown in Fig. 2. The purpose of Fig. 3 is to show a shuttle at the charging locality and also to show the relation between the shuttle-car# rier, which is included, and the means by which the shuttle is supported at the charging locality.

Fig. 4 is a view partly in vertical section and partly in elevation of the struc*V Fig, l viewed from right patent a relatively brief general Statement `till suffice for the purpose of this application. The Weaving mechanism and the weft replenishing mechanism are organized and controlled so that they operate alternately, each remaining at rest. while the other is operating. Assuming that the weaving mechanism is operating and that weft rcplenishment is required because of a spent or nearly spent condition of the bobbin in the operating shuttle, feeler mechanism of any well-known or preferred construction detects the spent condition of the bobbin and sets in motion automatic means by which the Weaving mechanism is stopped and the replenishing mechanism is started. This is controlled in such a way that the weaving mechanism stops in every case when the lay is at or near rear center as shown by Figs. 2 and 4. The power by which the loom is operated then automatically applied to the replenishing mechanism which includes, as in the well-known Stafford loom, a change shaft. This shaft is equipped with a disconneetible clutch and carries the several cams or other actuators by which the necessary motions of the replenishing mechanism'are impartial. The power being applied to the change shaft by the aforesaid clutch causes the shaft to rotate at a relatively slow speed, for example, one revolution in five seconds. rfhe entire replenishing cycle is effected in one rotation of the change shaft which, during the latter stages of such rotation and after having interchanged the spent shuttle and the filled shuttle, re-applies the power to the weaving mechanism and disconnecfs it- Self from the source of power by incorporating the aforesaid clutch.

To facilitate reference to my aforesaid copending application of which this is a division, the reference characters used therein are used herein to identify the same elements. So far as the change shuttlebox is illustrated it includes a portion of the lay 11 and the usual shuttle-binder 17. An ejector 31 is provided for pushing the spent shuttle toward the front of the loom, or from right to left as in Figs. and 4, or from top to bottom as in Fig. l. lVhen this occurs the spent shuttle transferred from the lay to. a receiver 82, the spent shuttle being indicated at S, and a filled shuttle being indicated at S. The mechanism for operating the ejector is shown by Fig. 2 and includes an arm 3T the lower end of which is mounted upon a pivot 88 that is carried by and swings forwardly and back with the lay. Gperating motion is transmitted to the arm 37 by a rod 35 the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a lever 34. The fulcrum of this lever is indicated at 26. The lever is normally drawn down by a tension spring 42 and is raised by a cam 33 carried by a shaft 30. This shaft is the one hereinbefore referred to as the change shaft7 which rotates slowly and then only when the weavingr mechanism is at rest. Yiclding connection between the rod 35 and the arm 3T is afforded by providing the arm with a swivelcd block through which the rod extends loosely, and by interposing a helical compression spring 36 between said block and a collar 4l affixed to the rod.

The shuttle-receiver has two separated shuttle-engaging portions connected by a yoke 43. thereby providing a space to receive portions of the shuttle-carrier hereinafter described. The normal position of the shuttle-receiver is shown by Fig. 2 and also by broken lines in Fig. 4. After the spent shuttle has been transferred to this receiver as aforesaid the receiver is raised automatically to the position shown by solid lines in Fig. -f-. A. stem 4G is afiixed to the yoke 423 and slides in a bracliet 4i". The lower end of this stern is connected to mechanism (not shown) by which it is raised to clear the path along which the filled shuttle is carried from the charging localityv to the change shuttle-box. A helical cinnpression spring surrounds the stem 46 and its function is te return the shuttle-receiver to its normal position under the control of the operating cam. jrs shown by Fig. l the ends of the shuttle-receiver are provided with flanges 44 which are arranged in grooved guides 45 affixed to the lay.

Figs. l and 4 show the shuttle-carrier :is having moved about half way from the charging` locality to the change shuttle-box and as carrying a filled shuttle S to replace the spent shuttle S. The shuttle-carrier is formed in part by a lever 54 the fulcruin of which is nearly coaxial with the axis about wh'ch the lay executes its beating-up movement. The head of the sl'iuttle-carrier is provided ,with a platform for the spent shuttle and with a pair of fingers Gf) which constitute a platform for the filled shuttle. The rear ends of these fingers are turned up as indicated at G1 to stand behind Ahe rear upright surface of thc filled shuttle. The front face of the filled shuttle is engaged by a pair of arms 62 formed on the member shown separately by Fig. Vr'hen the carrier is about to place the filled shuttle on the lay the bottom of the shuttle engages a pair of inclined fingers Gil rarried by the lay (see Fig. 4), said lingers being arranged to deflect the shuttle upwardly to the top of the lay and above the upturncd ends (il of the carrying fingers. The latter move into recesses 64 formed in the top of the lay for their reception.

F G shows a device by which the filled shuttle is clamped against the abutments (32 while it is being transferred from the charglJo Iel.

: shuttle-*carrier as having started to move from right to left to pick up the filled shuttle and to transfer the latter to the change i shuttle-box. The clamping members 62 are about to strike the front face of the shuttle. As the Carrier continues to move, the members 62 push the shuttle from the brackets 76, `the shuttle-supporting fingers of the carrier meanwhile rising slightly because of the are through which the carrier swings. These fingers therefore receive the shuttle when the latter is pushed from the stationary brackets T6. iVhile the shuttle is thus` being transferred from the brackets to the fingers 60 the finger 212 rides over a roller 213 and thereby raised. so as to increase the distance between the clamping members 62 and 65. The front wall of the shuttle i drops between the members 62 and 65 be- 20` fore the trailing end of the finger 212 leaves the roller 213 but subsequently the spring 211 draws down the finger 212 and thereby causes the lingers 65 to clamp the front wall of the shuttle against the members 62. The filled` shuttle is thus clamped securely on the carrier until it is deposited in the change shuttle-box where it is released as soon as the linger strikes the yoke i-fl as hereinbefore explained.

Referring to Fig. 1, the outlying` end of filling in the filled shuttle is indicated at c and is attached to a weft-end holder e which rests on a tray 184k to which it has been conducted by a chute 182. The filled shuttle has been threaded automatically by the weft-end carrier c which has drawn the thread through the throat 87, 88 of the shuttle and intothe eye of the shuttle. Fig. l also includes a broken line f which represents the stretch of filling running from the fabric to the spent shuttle.

I claim:

1. The combination with a loom, of weftshuttle to the change shuttle-box, and means on said `carrier arranged to clamp the shuttle by the interior and exterior faces of `one vvall of its bobin-chamber.

2. The combination with a loom, of weftreplenishing mechanism aranged: to interchange a filled shuttle and a spent shuttle in the change shuttle-box, said mechanism including a shuttle-carrier by which the filled shuttle and spent shuttle are vcarried succesively, and means on said carrier arranged to clamp one of the shuttles by the `interior and exterior faces of one wall of its bobbin-chamber.

3. The combination with a loom, of weftreplenishing mechanism arranged to interchange a filled shuttle and a spent shuttle in the `change shuttle-box, said mechanism including a shuttle-carrier by which the filled shuttle and spent shuttle are carried suctle-carrier arranged to transfer a filled shuttle to and a spent shuttle from the change shuttle-box7 means on the carrier including a movable shuttle-engaging member arranged to clamp one of the shuttles, and

`means carried by said movable member andl arranged to clamp the other said shuttle against said movable member.

5. The combination with a. loom, of weftreplenishing mechanism comprising a shuttle-carrier arranged to transfer a filled shuttle to thechange shuttle-bon7 shuttleclamping means `carried by the carrier and `including a` relatively movable clamping element, and means arranged to move said clamping element so as to release `the clamped shuttle 1n said shuttle-box.

6. The combination with a loom, of weft-` replenishing mechanism comprising a shuttie-carrier arranged to transfer a tilled shuttle to the change shuttle-box, and spring-stressed means carried by said carrier for clamping the filled shuttle thereon, an element of said clamping means being arranged to strike an element of the change shuttle-box so as to release the filled shuttle in consequence thereof.

T. The combination with. a loom, of weftreplenishing mechanism comprising a shuttle-carrier arranged to transfer a filled shuttle to and a spent shuttle from the change shuttle-box, and three shuttle-clamping elements carried by said carrier one of which is arranged to engage the filled shuttle, another of which is arranged to engage the spent shuttle, and the third of which is arranged to cooperate with the first and second alternately to clamp said shuttles in turn.

8. The combination with a loom, of weftreplenishing mechanism arranged to interchange a filledV shuttle and a spent shuttle in the `change shuttle-box, said mechanism includinga sliuttle-carrier having cooperative shuttle-clamping jaws one of which is arranged to function against an `interior surface of one of the shuttles.

9. The combination with a loom7 of weftreplenishingmechanism including a shuttlecarrier arranged to transfer a filled shuttle to the change shuttle-box, said carrier having cooperative shuttle-clamping jaws one of which is arranged to enter the bobbin chamber through the bottom of the shuttle and function against a surface forming` said chamber.

10. The combination with a loom, of

ing locality to the shuttle-box. T hisv device includes a pair of fingers 65 arranged to extend upwardly into the bobbin cavity of the shuttle and to engage the rear surface of the front Wall of the shuttle with a slight pressure, thereby clamping the front wall of the shuttle against the abutments 62. These clamping lingers are affixed to a rockshaft 66 the ends of which are journaled in bearings 67 in the abutnients 62. 1When these parts are assembled the fingers 65 project from the abutments through openings GS. The clamping device for the filled shuttle is thus supported entirely by the abutments 62 although the latter are movable relatively to the head of the carrier.

' is shown by Figs. l and 5 the abutments Cil Cri

62 are parts of a member comprising an arm 69 and having a hub mounted upon a rod 70. This rod is fixed to the carrier` and the element including the abutmcnts is arranged to turn relatively thereto so as to clamp and release the spent shuttle. A torsion spring 71 encircling` the rod 70 engages the arm 69 and is anchored to a collar 72. The spring normally raises the abutments to the posit-ion shown in Figs. 3 and ff in which position the space between the abutments 62 and those indicated at 73 is slightly less than the Width of the shuttle. This construction enables the abutments 62 and 73 to clamp the spent shuttle resting on the platform 59.

1When the carrier has moved toward the lay far enough to place the filled shuttle on the lay the abutments 62 are depressed sufficiently to increase the space between them and the abutments 73 to slightly more than the width of a shuttle; and while they are so spaced the spent shuttle is deposited on thel platform 59 by the shuttle-receiver 32. The aforesaid separation of the abutments 62 from the abutments 7 3 is produced by a finger T-/l rigidly related to the abutments G2 and arranged to strike the yoke 43 before the shuttle-carrier reaches the limit of its movement toward the lay. Vhen the carrier subsequently moves away from the lay toward the charging position the abutments G2 are raised by the springs 'T1 and are thereby caused to lamp the spent shuttle against the abutments T3. The clamping fingers are operated in like manner by a finger T5 which also strikes against the yoke 43. The clamping action of these fingers is produced by a tension spring 211 one end of which is anchored to the arm 5l and the other end connected to a finger 212 rigidly connected to the clamping lingers as shown best by Fig. 6. In this case the fingers 65 are moved to release the filled shuttle as the latter slides on the lay toward the shuttle-binder 17, the filled shuttle being thus completely released from the carrier before the latter is arrested and thereafter sliding on the lay so as to pass over and beyond the fingers 65 until it is arrested by the binder.

The shuttle carrier, having received the spent shuttle from the receiver 32, swings toward the front of the loom with the spent shuttle clamped thereon and passes between two fixed shuttle sulriporting brackets one of which is shown in Fig. 3 and indicated at TG. Referring to Fig. 3 the shuttle-carrier moves from left to right to transfer the spent shuttle to the charging locality. and from right to left to transferl the filled shuttle from the charging locality to the change shuttle-box. llllien moving from left to right with the spent shuttle between the clamping members and T3 the shuttle is arrested by a fixture 7T while the carrier is in motion, the carrier thereafter continuing to move toward the right so that the clamping members G2 yield against the stress of the spring T1 and pass under and beyond the shuttle. rEhe supporting brackels and the fixture TT are integral and` as shown in my aforesaid copending application, are arranged at one end and are affixed to the breast beam. 1When the carrier is at the right-hand limit of its movement the fingers 60 are at the right of the shuttle to clear a space directly under the shuttle so that the spent bobbin may drop without emountering any obstacle.

Fig. 3 also includes two filled bobbins D and F1, the latter having been depressed into the shuttle from the position occupied by the bobbin D and having been replaced by the bobbin D which will subsequently be depressed into the other shuttle. The bobbin D is supported in part by yielding fingers 110 pivoted at 111 and normally held in the position shown by a tension spring 112. Each bobbin, on reaching the position occupied by the bobbin D, is registered lengthwise of the shuttle by a tappet 188. This tappet is fixed to a rockshaft 189 journaled in a bearing 19.1 and having a finger 192 arranged to be engaged and displaced by a portion of the shuttle carrier. The tappet 188 is arranged to engage the tip end of the bobbin. The bobbins and shuttles are well-known products of the Draper Company and need not be described excepting to state that the shuttles are equipped with spring clamping jaws in the bobbin cavities and the larger ends of the bobbins are provided with metallic rings which are forced between the jaws as the bobbins are depressed by a hammer (not shown).

As shown by Fig. 3 the finger 212 rests on a shoulder 158 of the shuttle-carrier. Under this condition the space between the clamping members (32 and (S5 is less than the thickness of the front wall of the bobbin cavity of the shuttle. Fig. 3 represents the means for supporting a illed shutle outside the change shuttle-box, and shuttle-chang ing mechanism including a carrier arranged to transfer said shuttle from said support- 5 ing means to said shutt1ebox, cooperative shuttle-clamping jaws one of which is spring-stressed to press the shuttle against the other, and nieans arranged to retract said spring-stressed jaw for the reception of the shuttle.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature this 27th day of Oct-ober 1921.

VILLIAM FLETT. 

